Vehicle-propeller



No. 6l4,907. Patented Nov. 29, I898.

r. VENNEB. VEHICLE PROPELLER.

(Application mm Feb. 91, 189B.) (No Model.) 2 Shasta-Sheet I.

No. 6l4,907. Patented Nov. 29, uses.

J. r. VEN'NER. VEHIGLE PROPEL LER.

(Application filed Feb. 21, 189B.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

i V 3 a J 11111,,

I/IIIII/fll NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOHN F. VENNER, OF BROl/VNSVILLE, OREGON.

VEHlCLE-PROPELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,907, dated November' 29, 1898.

Application filed February 21, 1898. Serial No. 671,183. (No model.)

To all whom, it ntcty concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. VENNER, a citi zen of the United States,residing at Brownsville, in the county of Linn and State of Oregon, haveinvented a new'and useful Vehicle- Propeller, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to a vehicle-propeller adapted for use inconnection with roadwagons, sleds, and similar vehicles, and has for itsobject to provide a propeller which may be efficient in soft soils,particularly in traversing grades and for use in snow and on ice, thepropeller consisting of a rimless wheel adapted to be driven by suitablemotive power and capable of sinking into snow orother soft surfaces inorder to attain an efiicient hold, and also capable of engaging hardslippery surfaces, such as ice, to secure the maximum efficiency of themotor.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a vehicle havinga propellerconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view,partlyin section, of the same. Fig. 3 is a view of a sled-vehicle towhich the propeller embodying my invention is applied. Fig. 4t is apartial plan view of the same, showing the arrangement of parts when thepropeller-wheels are arranged foremost. Fig. 5 is a detail view of oneof the wheel-spokes.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the draw ings.

1 designates a vehicle-body, which obviously may be of any suitable formand capacity, and mounted in suitable bearings thereon is adriving-shaft 2, carrying propeller-wheels, which may be either fast orloose thereon. In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 thepropeller-wheels are fast on the shaft, and each consists of a hub 3,having spaced parallel flanges 4 either integral with or firmly attachedto the hub, and a plurality of longitudinally-flattened spokes 5,alternately attached .at their inner ends to the outer and inner flangesat and converging body portions of the spokes facilitate the cuttingthereof through a soft surface, such as snow, while thetransverselyflattened or blade portions are adapted to sink to asufficient depth to engage a firm or compact stratum. Any desired numberof spokes may be employed, depending upon the diameter of the wheel andthe purpose for which it is to be used; but in the constructionillustrated the body portions of the spokes have inward ly-convergingside edges and are arranged close together,whereby the terminals orblades thereof are arranged at sufficiently short intervals to insurethe contact of a plurality thereof at all times with the surfacetraversed. Obviously this prevents an annoying jarring of the vehiclewhen traversing a hard surface. The extremities of the blades may havechisel edges to facilitate the engagement thereof with ice-surfaces.

As above indicated, any suitable construction of vehicle-body may beemployed, and in the same way any preferred means may be employed forimparting rotary motion to the propeller-wheels.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 2 the motor, which is indicatedin diagram at S, communicates motion through a gear 9 to a pinion 10 onthe shaft. Also in this form of the apparatus the support for theopposite or front end of the vehicle-body consists of steering-wheels11, of which the pivotal axle 12 is connected, by chains 13 orotherwise, with asteering-shaft 14. On the other hand, in theconstruction illustrated in Figs. 3 and l the propeller-wheel shaft,which is mounted above the plane of the sled top or body 1 carriespropeller-wheels which are loosely mounted thereon, connection betweenthe shaft and the wheels being secured by means of clutches 15, havingoperating levers or handles 16, whereby the operator is enabled todisconnect either propeller-Wheel from the shaft, and thus allow thesame to turn idly, while motion is communicated to the vehicle by theother wheel, and thus causes it to describe a curved path, as inturning, the. In this construction the propeller-wheels are preferablyarranged at the front of the vehicle, and the other end thereof issupported by means of sled-runners 17. Any suitable mechanism may beemployed for communieating motion to the propellershaft, and thereforeit has been deemed unnecessary to illustrate such mechanism in the formof the apparatus shown in Figs. 3 and at.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim isl. A rotaryvehicle-propeller consisting of a rimless wheel having spokes arrangedat their inner ends upon parallel spaced lines, converging outwardly tointersect in a common longitudinal plane, and extended beyond said pointof intersection to form transverselyflattencd blades, substantially asspecified.

2. A rotary vehicle-propeller consisting of a riinless Wheel havinglongitudinally-flattened spokes arranged at their inner ends uponparallel spaced lines, converging outwardly to intersect in a commonlongitudinal plane, and extended and twisted axially beyond said pointof intersection to form transverselyflattened blades, substantially asspecified.

3. A rotary Vehicle-propeller, having a flanged hub,outwardly-convergent longitudinally-flattened spokes secured at theirinner ends alternately to the inner and outer flanges of the hub, andintersecting in a common longitudinal plane, and a spacing-braceconnecting the spokes at their points of intersection,said spokes beingextended beyond the spacing-brace and turned or twisted axially to formtransversely-flattened blades, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. VENNER. lVitnesses:

J. M. SHULSE, DAVID J. DEARMOND.

